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-R1ER-EXPHESS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1927
Fun and Problems Behind Scenes in Radio Station
KENNETH F1CKETT
Announcers Have Troubles;
Almost Anything Happens
Rarely temperament, and mostly temper big difficulty—Quiet action always demanded
Sy AMY ARMITAGE
.0 you remember way back when
." your ambition was to
behind tbe scenes? How you de-
Imlginative flights ot a
! Use Thrill oi y.-e.? :_.|- .-.' . ....
Toby Tyler, ilist. <!..;..
life with a circus. Don't you etill
devote your undivided attention to
" reafcfa.t menu of your fa. orile
star? And haven't von often
-red. twirling tbe dial? of your
radio, what was actually happening
nything," according to local an-
hat gentlemen are not alone in their
r-.-'.-'-.sii.o for blonde.. wait1'! hitter
"Temperament." he eald, "Is nlne-
xceptlon to that rule We did have
ras genuinely high-strung and who,
n order to do her best work, required a congenial setting. We Rave
Tier! I rushed out an order for
llano, switched off the upper light?,
_ Ihe
din Ely.
wn difficulties
is an inspiration t
WEBR has had
along ihat line. Glenn Pickett.
laired announcer who mi
his WEBR debut Monday eveni
commented scathingly on the i
former who refuse;, at the last I
studio pianist
t In i
Ellen t
audience, tuning In on tbe finish
performance, realize the problei
which must be coped with behind t
KtMKtlT. <.eyert-
There's Leu Applaute
Applause notes are decreasing and
le announcers join in condoning the
tct. Put yourself in the artist's
vast, unseen audience. Nothing happens. No one troubles to-put his
appreciation on paper. You begin
to react yourself. What was wrong?
Didn't you go over? Wasn't the selection received in good order? Yju
_.!-_ reluctant to appear again before
microphone.
'he woman called hack
invited luni in join the party which
was in progrt.._ at an Ashland avenue addrtss. Mr. Howell reporlcd
the iuvit..tion to his radio audience
with suitable comment?. Response
was in.rn.-ili_.t_ -A female voice from
Northland avenue informed him Hint
she could promise him a much b.i'..r
could hi. Ashland aitnue friend, in
proof of ibis sta<ement 'lie read him
her nine list. The announcer, hi-hl.
nmuseri. related the details of the
third telephone call, offered to put
Northland avenue forever in ihe
shade and described, not only her
wine list, but her complete menu.
Telephone fa!* came thick and lass.
ihat hers had been the FIRST invi-
The 1
i Join i
, of .Ji >''
shoice dainties Ii
The battle raged! Just before signing off Mr. Howell announced Ihat
he would decide tbe matter by drawing cards. Then, putting on his hat.
Microphone fright, the radio
efjuivnl-Tis of stage fright, Is a common affliction with those makiDg
their radio debuts.
"I had already announced one
prominent speaker." Ken FIckett recalled, "before I realized that he had
.11 to pieci
i be f
i bis
id I read It for him without the
jJience l;.u>-,vii_s Ihe difference.
"Then wc had a famous atitomotiil.-
ic.r scheduled for a talk. He got
le ahead of lime and offered 510
I would procure a substitute num-
He finally did talk ho.
rards i
sad plight of a Y. M. C. A.
lilieclor, who in tbe coursi
speech, found himself l'.r..i<
a,- lif-s s'..:ked.
WMAK'. most -..citing ex
cam., as Ihe result of a coir
■lght and ex
i tbe p
■■ ai tis:
Tha Sing.r Fainted
"She had just finished her song,
said the announcer, "when a long
distance cal! from her brother in
New- York, Informed her that he had
tuned in on the selection. As her
name did not appear on the program
Ihe coincidence was ral-her s.artliii;:.
She KMixained ihe si (.nation to me
ami asked it" f would mind ii she sang
a favorite of her brother's. Of
course I gave my consent readily, She
song was announced, and she san_- ;'t
beautifully. At the conclusion of the
number she stepped closer to the
microphone and said softly 'That was
ing site dropped ;o the floor in a
dead faint,"
A usual error on the part of the
radio debutante Is to inquire eageriv
vvhile he it still on the air. "Did that.
go over all-right?" it Is fortunate
that he never knows how that Wund-
" There seems :o beVwide differoce
dre-sed artist will wear." In the
broadca .ting of such an opera as
Pinafore the singers feel more at
ease If they are dressed enactlty as
they would be for a public perform-
Artlsl
sing than i
"We _
1 Rout
Ken Pickett, "
ably puts everybody out ot the studio,
undershirt before he begins his talk
What a liability that roan would
be to the Vitaphone people. Not to
mention the soulful tenor who read:
; that _
ipply i
cards be kept beside the
mailed out immediately after the reception of a number. The amount
of time required to write out and
mall a post card is negligible and the
the artist I. bound-
"Mash notes a
Herbert H. Howell, who shares announcing honors with Glenn Pickett
at WEBR, has passed beyond the
stage of "mash" notes. Hla popular
voice brought him three Invitations
tor one evening not long ago. During
the course of tbe regular program a
woman called up and requested that
tion.. of the score. He is preceded.
on the program, by a violinist who
disposes of his cigarette at the last
bsst-ls ■■.-. <'-.= rlsirs-
.sleeve... favors the unseen (and. for
iunal-K. unseeing) audience with
Seek Advice on Clothing
Gl' :'is I'll .,-■■! , .;ifesses that artists have called him on the telephone and sought his advice as to
plaining that -t
studio
MAK where
ilie t.ir.ad.a.tii.g artist is visible
from the reception room, costumes
are necessarily more formal.
There is an atmosphere of goodwill between :he station and the
audi.r.t.'o which leads to some amusing incidents. WMAK has a feature
-.iit.-.-.;: ... i" nisi;. A.-, .- \,-.],.,.- s :-."
Eira Todd, which broadcasts, in an
■ial provided bj
$tf.
uwx'
"Mike" Ace
the Fai
-and.
lit tie ,
iu. It r
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 192-
dresses, it started out to serenade
them, via radio, As a climax It
staged an accident with the Ford,
I played a funeral march for the dead,
..__. finished tbe affair with tears.
| The fleit morning brought two lra-
vanla address with appropriate
jresaions of sympathy.
iVEBR likewise had a gift pre-
ited to it. An Irate man called
the squeaky voice ot an artist
I thought h!a ■.oice was squeaky,
" agreed the announcer, "and I'll
you what I'll do. I'll send you
r iive gallons of oil for backing
le kepi ids promise and by return
te si1.', ailed Queen .Vane's roy-
s_ire. He described .he scene
Statler hall room including
bers of Ihe fire department. th?
gong sounded and away they went
leaving the harassed announcer to
Another situation requiring a delicate touch ticcui-ied ..-hen vVIl.X rs-
whfch an orchestra inesented a
Sunday? Inquir.
the candallied protestors. The ai
nouncer put the matter to a vot
and out ot GOO answers only three |
.ame three ot the telephone
and monk's clolh of W _. 9 R'■ ■. i Vc,!'. .■
.eighteenth floor Statler
taupe velvet, to WMAK'
and dark blue velvet on the 2t
floor of the Liberty Bank building,
is indeed a fascinating glimpse '■',
ir I
Tribe Has Amazonian Bent
ways Differ
l to being
• diplomacy
AT WMAK-Wi»™
Fay, formerly of Station
WJZ, who has a good talk-
Program ior Friday,
September 23, 1921
BUFFALO TIMES
OCTOBER 2, 1927
II To Announce Series

-R1ER-EXPHESS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1927
Fun and Problems Behind Scenes in Radio Station
KENNETH F1CKETT
Announcers Have Troubles;
Almost Anything Happens
Rarely temperament, and mostly temper big difficulty—Quiet action always demanded
Sy AMY ARMITAGE
.0 you remember way back when
." your ambition was to
behind tbe scenes? How you de-
Imlginative flights ot a
! Use Thrill oi y.-e.? :_.|- .-.' . ....
Toby Tyler, ilist. ''
shoice dainties Ii
The battle raged! Just before signing off Mr. Howell announced Ihat
he would decide tbe matter by drawing cards. Then, putting on his hat.
Microphone fright, the radio
efjuivnl-Tis of stage fright, Is a common affliction with those makiDg
their radio debuts.
"I had already announced one
prominent speaker." Ken FIckett recalled, "before I realized that he had
.11 to pieci
i be f
i bis
id I read It for him without the
jJience l;.u>-,vii_s Ihe difference.
"Then wc had a famous atitomotiil.-
ic.r scheduled for a talk. He got
le ahead of lime and offered 510
I would procure a substitute num-
He finally did talk ho.
rards i
sad plight of a Y. M. C. A.
lilieclor, who in tbe coursi
speech, found himself l'.r..i<
a,- lif-s s'..:ked.
WMAK'. most -..citing ex
cam., as Ihe result of a coir
■lght and ex
i tbe p
■■ ai tis:
Tha Sing.r Fainted
"She had just finished her song,
said the announcer, "when a long
distance cal! from her brother in
New- York, Informed her that he had
tuned in on the selection. As her
name did not appear on the program
Ihe coincidence was ral-her s.artliii;:.
She KMixained ihe si (.nation to me
ami asked it" f would mind ii she sang
a favorite of her brother's. Of
course I gave my consent readily, She
song was announced, and she san_- ;'t
beautifully. At the conclusion of the
number she stepped closer to the
microphone and said softly 'That was
ing site dropped ;o the floor in a
dead faint,"
A usual error on the part of the
radio debutante Is to inquire eageriv
vvhile he it still on the air. "Did that.
go over all-right?" it Is fortunate
that he never knows how that Wund-
" There seems :o beVwide differoce
dre-sed artist will wear." In the
broadca .ting of such an opera as
Pinafore the singers feel more at
ease If they are dressed enactlty as
they would be for a public perform-
Artlsl
sing than i
"We _
1 Rout
Ken Pickett, "
ably puts everybody out ot the studio,
undershirt before he begins his talk
What a liability that roan would
be to the Vitaphone people. Not to
mention the soulful tenor who read:
; that _
ipply i
cards be kept beside the
mailed out immediately after the reception of a number. The amount
of time required to write out and
mall a post card is negligible and the
the artist I. bound-
"Mash notes a
Herbert H. Howell, who shares announcing honors with Glenn Pickett
at WEBR, has passed beyond the
stage of "mash" notes. Hla popular
voice brought him three Invitations
tor one evening not long ago. During
the course of tbe regular program a
woman called up and requested that
tion.. of the score. He is preceded.
on the program, by a violinist who
disposes of his cigarette at the last
bsst-ls ■■.-.